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Sarah McCarthy-Fry
| birth_place = Portsmouth | death_date = | death_place = | nationality = British | spouse = Tony McCarthy | party = Labour Co-operative | relations = | children = | residence = | alma_mater = | occupation = | profession = | religion = | signature = | website = | footnotes = }} Sarah McCarthy-Fry (born 4 February 1955, Portsmouth) is the Labour Co-operative Member of Parliament for Portsmouth North in the United Kingdom since the 2005 general election, when she replaced Syd Rapson. McCarthy-Fry is currently a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Children, Schools and Families. Early life She was born Sarah Louise Macaree, the daughter of a defence worker of Scottish descent. Fry is the name of her first husband, McCarthy of her second. She went to Portsmouth High School (now an independent school, but a direct grant school before the 1970s) in Southsea. She worked for the multi-national defence engineering company GKN Westland at Portsmouth, and most recently as financial controller for GKN Aerospace at Cowes, Isle of Wight. Her job has included spells working abroad in Germany and the United States. She qualified as a chartered accountant in 2004. She came to prominence in local politics leading a neighbourhood group, Ban the Burner successfully opposing a proposed incinerator. She was elected to Portsmouth City Council in 1994, chaired the environment committee, and was deputy leader for five years from 1995-2000, remaining with the council until 2002. She is a member of Amicus and of the Co-operative Party. Political career She tried to be selected for the seat in 1997, and later became Syd Rapson's campaign manager. Her main political interests are trade and industry, defence and the social economy. She campaigned in favour of identity cards after a constituency survey indicated a large majority in favour of them, and stressed her support in her maiden speech. She believes the challenge for the 21st century is for businesses to achieve greater productivity to maintain competitiveness, while giving their employees reduced working hours and a sensible work-life balance . In 2006 Sarah was made PPS to John Healey, Financial Secretary to the Treasury. In Prime Minister Gordon Brown's cabinet reshuffle in 2007, Sarah was made PPS to Geoff Hoon, Chief Whip. She was then promoted on 5 October 2008, when she became a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Department for Children, Schools and Families replacing Lord Adonis; who was moved from Education to Transport a controversial move that brought about much speculation in the press afterwards; as Adonis was seen to be a key education reformer and in removing him from a post he flourished in it signified that the government no longer had education at the top of their agenda. Personal life Sarah married her second husband Tony McCarthy in 1997 and they have four grown-up children. She is a fan of The Who, and her hobbies include tap-dancing, dog walking and amateur dramatics. External links * Sarah McCarthy-Fry's website * They Work For You * Guardian biography * Voting record at the Public Whip * BBC Politics page * Meet the MP at the BBC News items * Concern over Royal Navy ships * Upset over Boris Johnson Category:1955 births Category:Living people Category:Members of the United Kingdom Parliament for English constituencies Category:Labour Co-operative MPs (UK) Category:Councillors in South East England Category:British female MPs Category:UK MPs 2005-